Davis Cup: Great Britain have been drawn away to Croatia in the Davis Cup World Group play-offs in September. Leon Smith’s side set up the opportunity to return to the top level of the competition for the first time since 2008 with a brilliant 3-2 victory over Russia in Coventry last weekend.
The draw: Spain vs Ukraine; Netherlands vs Austria; Croatia vs Britain; Switzerland vs Ecuador; Germany vs Brazil; Poland vs Aus-tralia; Belgium vs Israel; Japan vs Colombia.
Snooker: Alan McManus reached the penultimate qualifying round of the World Championship with a 10-9 victory over India’s Aditya Mehta after a marathon clash which lasted nine hours and nine minutes. McManus, twice a semi-finalist at the Crucible, trailed 6-4 but won five of the next six frames with a top break of 102 to lead 9-7. Mehta recovered to 9-9 and had a chance to win the decider from 36-0 down, but broke down on 46 and McManus cleared from yellow to pink to earn a match with Nigel Bond. Joe Swail kept his superb run going with a 10-6 defeat of Adam Duffy. Swail has now won five matches in the event, having started in the rounds for WPBSA members not on the main tour.
Other result: Drago leading Gilbert 5-4.
Motor Racing: Human Rights Watch said yesterday that police had arrested 20 opposition activists in towns near Bahrain’s Formula One circuit in a sign of rising political tension before the Grand Prix on April 21. The Bahrain government denied any arrests had taken place. Watched by millions around the world, the Grand Prix is the biggest sporting event hosted by the US-allied country and the government is hoping for a big turnout at this year’s event despite continuing violent unrest.
Basket, NBA: New York Knicks won their first Atlantic Division title since 1994 as they thumped Washington Wizards 120-99 at Madison Square Garden. Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points as the Knicks extended their winning streak to 13 games, their longest since they last claimed divisional honours. The Knicks lead Brooklyn Nets by six games despite the latter winning 104-83 against the Philadelphia 76ers, led by huge double-doubles from Brook Lopez (29 points, 11 rebounds) and Reggie Evans (17 points, 24 rebounds).
Motorcycling: MotoGP teams will test at Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in July to gain data for a grand prix in the country next year, championship organisers Dorna said yesterday. The planned race was dropped from this year’s calendar after a row involving Spanish oil firm Repsol, who sponsor the works Honda team, and the Spanish and Argentine governments. Dorna said some of the teams would go to Argentina between July 1-5, after the Dutch round of the championship at Assen.